Thankful for Little Things

Well this year there is so much to be thankful for. Even in this horrible economy, with people around me losing their jobs and worrying about their retirement and their health care, there is still those glimpses of good, the glimpses of joy and the things that make us smile each day and get out of bed, the moments to be thankful for.

Today it was the dog, believe it or not. Our crazy puppy, one that I never even thought we would be able to talk my husband into, was making all kinds of crazy noises today. I don't know if it was the snow, the fact that he got to stay home with me and Robby all day or what, but he would run and jump in his bed and nuzzle his nose down into it, then "winny" just like a horse! I'm not kidding! It was hilarious. Robby and I just kept laughing. I wish I could read the dog's mind. But it was nice, just to be able to have that moment, with a dog.

That moment made me realize how lucky, and thankful, I really am. I have a good job. A good job that allows me to have a flexible schedule, to work from home all the time, part of the time, or whatever parts of time I feel is necessary. I have a job that lets me work at home and listen to my dog make horse sounds, and lets me listen to my son belly laugh and tell me that the dog sounds like a horse.

Not that listening to the dog horse is my only benefit that makes me thankful ... Being able to work at home has not only given me more time, it's given me the ability to work around the little things. A morning talk with my husband when he gets home from work, when I normally don't see him until he's getting up for work, and I'm coming home and the rush is on... It has given me the ability to take more time with the kids when they get up for school in the morning. Instead of them getting themselves ready while I am getting ready for "work", I can sit with them at the table in my cozy little pj's, make them breakfast, pack lunches if necessary, all because I don't have to spend an hour on the road.

It's the little things that matter. Standing on the porch and watching them get on the bus instead of trying to rush and put my make up on (make up is not required when you work from home)! Being able to take that 45 minute lunch break and put dinner in the oven/crockpot, do dishes and laundry and not have to worry about having to do them after work, or, being able to take that 45 minute lunch and walk over to sit with my 91 yr old grandmother. Instead of office gossip, I get to reassure her that yes today is "Monday," and yes the cat is on her bed...

I can take my laptop and sit in the winter sun rays as they stream thru the kitchen window, rather than working in some dingy litle cube that resembles a tan prison. I can get my 3rd of 4th of 5th cup of coffee without everyone in the office commenting that it's my 3rd, 4th or 5th cup in an hour and that I should just get an IV... No one has to see my vices here at home! I can listen to my music while I work, without worrying that it's too loud for the neighbors, or I can listen to nothing but the water in the fish tank and not have to worry about the noisy office chatter all around me.

It's amazing all the things that I could list off, and how many ways my life feels "better" for just having the opportunity to work were I do. I have a boss that trusts me to do what needs to be done, and knows that I can do it and not take advantage of the situation. They talk about work life balance and how we need to strive for that. I feel like this year I have managed it finally... and I am so thankful for that. That area of stress that all working moms have, I feel like I have faced and defeated. Yeah, there is still stress, but not even close to where I was at this time last year.

I am thankful, yes, thankful, grateful for this one little thing in my life this year.